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Student Data

Working With Student Data

To maximize the value of student data, to turn it into useful information, you must address the people part of the process. We know that the tools are just software and the data are just numbers without people to make sense of and find meaning in them. At the heart of the data work at the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction (DPI) is what we call WISE, the Wisconsin Information System for Education.

The hub of the entire WISE system is WISEdata, an open collection system that allows any student information system vendor to connect via an API. An API is a set of routines, protocols, and tools for building software applications and specifying how software components should interact. WISEid, Roster, and Discipline are collection applications that work under the umbrella of WISEdata. Schools enter the data and then submit it to WISEdata.

The WISEdash component is an application to view submitted student data; there is a secure version (WISEdash for Districts) and a public version (WISEdash Public Portal).

Another component is WISExplore, a CESA-managed program that marries together outcome data with practice information to help districts and schools create improvement plans.

The focus of both WISEdash and WISExplore is to help districts understand the data through rigorous discussions within your school and district teams. Facilitating engagement in action-oriented, powerful discussions is what matters most. Below are links to the applications and tools that may assist you and your district in making the best use of student data.